Falling With Style {Chris Evans}

thirteen

With the orange sky from the sun setting being the only source of light in the room surrounded by mirrors and windows, the dancers knew that this was their cue. Their last rehearsal before the performance next weekend is coming to an end.

The dancers were sat on the laminated wood floor stretching in front of the mirror with the sunset shining behind them, giving the room a gorgeous filter of fiery light. There were about two dozen of them stretching together, though for the last six hours, they had rehearsed in smaller groups depending on who they were paired with for the dance production. They were all characters in a silent story doing a take on one of the most famous love stories: Pocahontas and John Smith. It would be based off the Disney version, not the historically accurate, bloody, and brutal version.

Dancers of all ethnic backgrounds conversed amongst themselves while others began to pack their things. Sitting at a nearby table with a few other coordinators of the production was Ashley who was viciously tapping at her phone. She had just sent Mila nearly sixty pictures of the outfits she designed for the production and finished final stitching on today, with the help of a few other seamstresses that made her ideas come alive.

In the middle of typing her sixth paragraph of excitement to Mila, she was interrupted by a phone call. The number was a private caller. She didn't hide her groan as she answered and said, "You telemarketers can stop calling my phone now! It is after eight in the evening and it is illegal! Know your laws!"

Laughter on the other end of the call is what stopped Ashley in her tracks before she could hang up. "Please tell me this is Ashley Hayes?"

She could hear the smile in this woman's voice. She sounded very cheerful, and even enthusiastic. "Yes, this is her, who is this?"

"My name is Sofia Willow and I heard that..."

"Oh, no freaking way!" Ashley cheered, interrupting the actress out of excitement pouring out of her mouth. Sofie could hear her breathing heavily into the receiver and it only made her giggle.

Once Ashley was done panting and embarrassing herself in front of the dancers and anyone within a mile radius, Sofie continued, "I just got off the phone with your friend Mila and she tells me that you're the lady to talk to about some designer clothes?"

Designer clothes?! Ashley wanted to scream. They were technically designer. She designed them, didn't she? But they were not the designer standards that someone like Sofia Willow would ever be seen in.

"Is this a joke?" Ashley asked, more serious than before and much more calmed down.

"I want to sponsor a line by you, and I would love to be apart of the debut photoshoot."

Ashley was bouncing in her seat, rocking back and forth, and trying not to hyperventilate all at the same time. Her mind was trying to process it all, so Sofie continued. "I know a great photographer who would love to set something up with you once everything is in motion. All you have to do is find some seamstresses."

"Sofie, I don't know what to say," Ashley trailed off, trying to keep herself from word vomiting.

"Just think it over and feel free to text me with anything you need. I have some filming to finish up, but I would love for the three of us to hang out so I can finally meet you."

"That would be so fun! Thank you so much for this opportunity, it still feels like a joke!"

Sofie giggled again. She gave a few more details and pitched a few ideas that Ashley enthusiastically and eagerly jotted down in pen on a nearby calculus textbook that was open to some random chapter she was absently studying off and on throughout the rehearsal.

Once the phone call ended, Ashley shoved her phone in her pocket and packed up her belongings. Before anyone could ask her about what the heck had gotten into her, she had already raced out the glass doors and towards her car.

Back at the dorm, Mila was passed out on her bed. She was laying on her side with her laptop open in front of her. Ashley walked around the bed to see what she was searching. A couple of different tabs looking at houses for rent in the nearby areas were open.

She so badly wanted to wake up Mila, who had noticeably tanned from her quick trip to the beach, but Ashley knew that Mila was needing to catch up on sleep since they came back really late.

Ashley decided to quickly shower and retreat to her room. She laid on her belly, scribbling and sketching ideas with messy notes that only she would be able to decode. Once her excitement was no longer enough to keep her awake for another few hours, she ended up falling asleep in a really weird position with fashion videos playing in the background like it was music to her ears.